Free Web NovelChapter 49: Chapter 49 The Daughter Who Called Her Mother
That crisp, childlike voice was completely out of place.
All eyes turned toward the lowered car window.
Ryan’s dark eyes fixed intently on the little girl.
Following her gaze, his eyes landed on Rose.
His dark pupils reflected her pale face, drained of color by the biting cold.
The world seemed to fall silent.
Rose nearly forgot how to react.
In that instant, the blood in her entire body seemed to freeze.
It rushed straight to her head, leaving her limbs stiff and numb.
Suddenly, Diana strode forward and grabbed Ariel’s little hand.
"Oh, sweetheart, let’s go home and rest first. Once I’m done with work, I’ll take you to Universal Studios, okay?"
Diana’s body blocked Ryan’s probing gaze.
Ariel had originally intended to act cute and ask Rose to stay the night with her.
But Diana’s interruption completely derailed her plans.
Her eyes darted around before she finally nodded, looking half-confused.
"Oh, okay. But you have to video call me."
The smile at the corners of Diana’s eyes stiffened.
The car window slowly rolled back up.
Nathan couldn’t very well stand there cursing forever.
Realizing that Rose was still legally married to Ryan and couldn’t afford any trouble, he quickly got into the car and instructed the driver to leave.
Diana turned around, visibly relieved, and raised her voice with exaggerated seriousness.
"Whenever Baby gets sick, she throws a tantrum for her mommy and calls everyone ’Mommy.’"
Only then did Rose dig her nails into her fingertips.
"I know. Kids are all like that."
Ryan’s gaze remained fixed on Rose, who stood there as though none of this concerned her.
Samantha noticed where he was looking.
Her lips tightened slightly as she slipped her arm through Ryan’s.
"Ryan, it seems like she really wants a child..."
Everyone understood the implication behind Samantha’s words.
Oliver certainly did.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You don’t need to worry about that. Ryan would never let a woman he doesn’t love have a child just so she can use it to trap him."
At those words, the corners of Samantha’s lips slowly curved upward.
The sweet smile on her face was impossible for Rose to miss.
It was as though she had won the entire world.
Oliver’s words were equally impossible to ignore.
Rose heard every word clearly.
Her gaze instinctively fell on Ryan’s face.
He didn’t deny it.
For seven years, Ryan had never once mentioned wanting a child.
Was that the reason?
Even though there had always been rumors that she couldn’t conceive, he had never explained the truth.
Nor had he ever asked her to undergo IVF, take injections, or use medication to increase her chances of getting pregnant.
Rose suddenly felt so humiliated she wanted to laugh.
Even if he died childless, would he still rather not have a child with her?
How absurd.
Diana grabbed Rose’s icy hand and glared at them.
"Is that so? Then is he planning to have a baby with the love of his life and play happy family? Maybe we should send them a congratulatory trophy for Outstanding Moral Character while we’re at it."
The sarcasm couldn’t have been more obvious.
Naturally, Rose recognized Diana’s aggressive defense of her.
It shattered the oppressive weight pressing against her chest.
She suddenly felt much lighter.
Clasping Diana’s hand in return, she refused to spare Ryan another glance.
"Make sure it’s engraved with Family Values Champion too. Wouldn’t want anyone to miss the irony."
Samantha’s expression instantly changed.
Rose was clearly mocking her.
But Rose didn’t give her a chance to respond.
She grabbed Diana’s hand and walked away.
Of course, she was aware of Ryan’s icy gaze fixed on her retreating figure.
But she didn’t slow down.
She strode forward without looking back.
A subtle crease formed between Ryan’s brows.
Rose had become surprisingly sharp-tongued lately.
She no longer threw hysterical tantrums, yet somehow managed to strike even harder.
"Rose is better at keeping up appearances than I expected," Oliver remarked after a moment of surprise.
He shook his head.
"The agreement she gave you yesterday demanded a child, yet today she’s acting like she couldn’t care less. Is this some kind of strategic retreat?"
"What agreement?"
Samantha immediately focused on the important part.
Oliver looked surprised.
"Ryan didn’t tell you?"
Ryan slowly withdrew his gaze and cast Oliver a faint look.
Only then did Oliver realize his mistake.
"Oh, right. Ryan probably didn’t want it affecting your mood."
He shrugged.
"Rose’s condition for divorce was that Ryan give her a child. She wanted to use the process to build an emotional bond and then rely on the child’s status to keep him tied down."
Samantha froze.
Then she looked at Ryan, annoyance flashing in her eyes.
"Ryan, you wouldn’t actually..."
Wasn’t Rose utterly shameless?
Was she deliberately trying to ruin Samantha’s future with Ryan?
Ryan’s thin eyelids lifted slightly.
His tone remained calm, flat, and decisive.
"No."
Just a single word.
Yet it instantly eased Samantha’s expression.
She knew it.
Ryan had long since grown tired of Rose.
She had wondered whether Ryan and Rose still shared any intimacy.
Now it seemed that Rose alone was desperately trying every trick she could think of to seduce him.
Offering herself up like a commodity.
How cheap.
"Ryan, when are you finally going to kick that wicked woman out?" Mike suddenly asked.
"Can my sister move in with you right now?"
Then he could live in Ryan’s enormous house, have a room full of toys, and become the envy of all the other children.
Samantha lightly scolded him.
"Mike, you shouldn’t say things like that."
Yet she couldn’t help smiling as she looked at Ryan.
Ryan gave a faint smile.
"It’s fine."
*****
Nathan’s residence was located in one of the most secure villa communities in New York.
Most of the residents were influential political figures and senior government officials.
Rose had originally intended to stay for a meal.
Instead, Caleb called her directly to the office.
"Didn’t the Bennett family’s antique shop sell off quite a few heirlooms? There’s a private antique appraisal event the day after tomorrow. Want to come with me?"
Rose nodded. "A lot of them were sold after Logan took over the antique shop. Do you have a connection?"
Caleb picked up two invitation cards from his desk. "You know NorthStar Pharmaceuticals—the Dutch family’s company and one of the top five pharmaceutical firms in the country, right?"
"They’re hosting the event. I plan to meet CEO Dutch, and it’ll also be a good opportunity for you to network with some industry leaders."
"NorthStar has been heavily focused on cancer drug research and development these past two years. This could be your chance to really establish yourself."
His true purpose was obvious.
He wanted to bring Rose into the spotlight.
Even though Rose was exceptionally talented—with achievements such as Aetheris Medical AI and a résumé impressive enough to silence any critic—she had been overlooked for far too long.
She needed opportunities like this.
Rose naturally agreed without hesitation.
Even if antiques weren’t involved.
As long as it benefited G.S Pharmaceuticals and her research projects, she would participate.
The antique world was complex and deeply interconnected.
The Bennett family’s antique shop had sold off countless treasures.
She had been worried about finding new leads.
One day, she would reclaim the antique shop Logan had stolen.
It belonged to the Bennett family.
No matter how difficult it might be, she refused to allow so many Bennett family heirlooms to remain in the wrong hands.
Things were progressing smoothly with Jingda University.
Since Samantha had also stopped causing trouble recently, Rose no longer paid her any attention.
*****
That day, Rose and Caleb arrived together at the Dutch family’s private collection gallery.
In high society, social events came in many forms.
Regardless of the occasion, the purpose was always the same—connections and resources.
The Dutch family’s gallery was expansive, spanning four floors.
As Caleb led Rose into the main hall, a tall, slender young man approached them.
Jordan extended his hand.
"Mr. Byrne, thank you for coming."
Caleb shook his hand.
"The honor is mine, Mr. Dutch."
Jordan’s gaze shifted toward Rose.
A trace of admiration flashed through his eyes.
"And this is?"
Rose smiled politely and nodded.
"Rose Bennett, a researcher at G.S Pharmaceuticals."
Caleb raised an eyebrow.
She was clearly the director leading their R&D division, yet she introduced herself with remarkable modesty.
Jordan studied her face, his interest growing.
"And what area do you specialize in, Ms. Bennett?"
Rose was about to answer when someone approached Jordan and whispered something in his ear.
Jordan nodded and glanced behind Rose.
Unable to help herself, Rose turned around.
The moment her gaze met Ryan’s deep, dark eyes—and Samantha walking beside him—she instinctively frowned.
Jordan failed to notice anything unusual.
Looking at Rose, he smiled and made the introductions.
"Ms. Bennett, you’ve probably heard of Mr. Knight, CEO of Kingswell, and his girlfriend, Ms. Hill."
